A Texas woman recently learned the hard way how important it is to make sure someone is there to accept a furniture delivery. On June 16, creator Briana (@lebriana8) posted surveillance footage showing multiple boxes getting picked up by a sanitation worker.
In the video, the worker seems to be testing the weight of the large packages. Although they appear unopened and would weigh more than your average cardboard box someone throws out, he tosses each into the garbage truck
Briana says the boxes contained her new couch.
“My couch literally got delivered an hour ago,” she writes in a text overlay on the TikTok.
“Who do you think is responsible?! Delivery company or sanitation crew??” she adds, suggesting that there was an issue with the delivery.
Her question stirred up sympathy and debate in the comments.
“Watching them toss it in the truck would send me into a spiral,” one person said.
It also has some convinced that the sanitation worker knew exactly what he was doing.
One person’s trash
Many people believe that Briana’s couch never made it to the dump.
“They probably do that all the time, drive to another location and take it back out of the truck. They know that’s not trash,” wrote one.
A second agreed, writing, “Sanitation stole it, he pretended to compact it.”
Briana does not say if she suspects the worker of theft. But if so, it wouldn’t be the first time—far from it, in fact.
The internet is rife with stories from all over the country about garbage workers stealing packages.
Part of the reason there are so many stories about stolen packages is due to simple mathematics.
People in the United States order more packages delivered every year. In 2024, online sales reportedly reached $1.192 trillion, accounting for a fifth of all U.S. retail sales.
Today people have groceries, medicine, furniture, and more delivered to their doorsteps. It’s arguably possible to have all your purchasing needs met via delivery.
All those packages present an opportunity for thieves.
The vast majority of those packages reach their rightful owners, of course. A small percentage, like Briana’s couch, don’t. Last year, a quarter of Americans reported having had a package stolen at some point.
What if it happens to you?
Experts advise anyone who has had a package stolen to report the matter to the police. It’s also a good idea to immediately preserve any video of photographic evidence, including from your neighbors’ and possibly the jurisdiction in which you live.
It’s also a good idea to ask around. Delivery drivers are notoriously overworked and are often exposed to the elements, including while driving. It’s only natural that mistakes will sometimes happen, particularly to a person distracted by exhaustion and discomfort.
You should contact the delivery company and the retailer as well. Policies vary, but some will simply replace a stolen item or reimburse you.
A couch for Briana
On July 17, almost exactly a month after Briana said her couch was picked up by a sanitation worker, she posted an update.
Dancing, she shares that she’d purchased the couch for her first apartment. Then she leans against the wall, apparently dejected, as a text overlay flashes that reads, “Trash company threw it away.”
In the final segment of the clip, Briana reveals the happy ending to her story.
She reclines on a new white couch, as the text overlay says, “BUT GOD SAIDDDD.”
People are still invested in the outcome of the couch that got thrown away, however.
“Hope you filed a claim with them about this,” wrote one. “I work for a trash company in their insurance claims and they are always doing this.”
Briana doesn’t reveal whether it’s the same couch or a replacement. She didn’t respond to a request for comment sent via TikTok direct message.
@lebriana8 My couch got delivered and discarded all in one day #trending #lebriana #trending #fyp #lovemylife ♬ Originalton – randomshit
@lebriana8 The end #trending #fyp #lebriana #foryoupage #firstapartment ♬ original sound – Clipse ✟
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